The Third Camp Trilogy: The Chaotic End

Chapter six: Carrie

"GO!"

Clash!

My spear clanged with Neptuna's trident. She spun her trident to try and disarm me, to try and spin the spear out of my hands, but I quickly pulled my spear out of the prongs and ducked.

I wanted to go all out and win this fight easily, but fear of harming Neptuna prevented me.

Clang!

Her trident collided with my spear as she went to stab me in the chest.

If I, for some reason, hadn't been able to block that strike, I would be killed! Why is she going so hardcore? I looked at her face and saw cold, calculating, deep-in-thought. I had never seen that look on her face before.

She really wanted to win this, didn't she?

Fwip!

The sound of Neptuna's trident being swung at top speeds rang in my ears. How is possible that she can spin it that fast?

I stabbed my spear into her trident's spin-cycle.

Suddenly...

Percy cried, "Where in the—!"

Grace yelped, "Nep!"

Annabeth gasped, "Oh my—!"

Neptuna was gone.

Her trident stood, stabbed into the ground, without it's owner.

I stared at it, not knowing what to do.

Then, water erupted from the lake. I drew my spear up and slashed it through the wave, thinking I could see Neptuna through the water.

I heard a gasp of pain and the water returned to the lake.

Neptuna, on her knees with trident in hand, was staring blankly forward, a hand over her left eye.

Blood was leaking from under her hand.

"Neptuna!" My eyes went wide. I dropped to my knees in front of her. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Oh, gods..."

"M-my eye..." She whispered. "I c-can't see out of m-my eye..."

"You can't see?" I felt my heart constrict.

Had I hurt her?

Permanently?

"I-I... I can't see... C-can't see... How you'll win!" She grinned and put her trident to my throat, standing in a flash.

She still held her hand over her eye though, so that had me a little worried. But I smirked and swung my spear around to push her trident away from my throat and quickly rose to face her again.

"You had me fooled. Good try." I chuckled.

"You helped quite a bit. Thanks for nearly stabbing my eye out." She frowned at me.

"Are you alright?" I questioned, careful not to let my stance drop.

"I think. Might have a good-sized scar under my eye now." She shrugged.

"The fight is over!" Virtus called.

"What?" Neptuna looked angry. "We're not finished yet—!"

"Carrie got a strike in. You're done." Virtus crossed his arms.

Neptuna sighed. She put away her trident and stuck out her right hand to shake, keeping her left over her eye. I put away my spear and shook her hand. Then I pulled her closer and carefully moved her hand from her face.

A deep cut, from Neptuna's nose to her ear, just under her eye, was bleeding badly.

"I'm fine." Neptuna gently took my hands in her own and smiled. "See? I'm alright."

I sighed and kissed Neptuna's forehead, then pulled her into a tight embrace. "Don't scare me like that." I whispered in her ear.

"You sound like my mom." Neptuna smiled into my chest.

"Then your mom is the awesomest person ever." I pulled away so I could look her in the eye.

Neptuna took my chin in her hand and pulled me into a kiss.

I could taste the blood on her lips, which gave me a flashback to so long ago, when I had thought she was dead because of the Fury.

"Aww! I want a picture of this! Where's my camera?" I heard Grace in the distance.

"That's enough you two, break it up!" Percy scolded.

To my disappointment, Neptuna pulled away.

That was the first time we had kissed in at least a month, and I wished it hadn't ended.

"Thank you for agreeing to a fight." Neptuna told me.

"Yeah." I nodded.

My dog tag started buzzing,

Mission Alert It buzzed.

Seriously? I'm kind of busy. I tapped.

Are you questioning me?

No, lady Athena.

I looked up to the rest of the group and sighed.

"I have to go, mission from the gods. Apollo, are you going to join me?"

"Nah, just come and get me afterwards." Apollo sighed.

"Another mission?" Neptuna pouted.

"Yeah... I'm sorry. I'll be back after. Promise."

"Okay..."

I hugged her tightly.

"I love you." I whispered in her ear.

"Stay safe." She mumbled.

I went inside and began tapping.

Mission information?

Ares is missing. We think he is on the edge of the pit of Chaos, in Tartarus. Go and get him.

You've got to be kidding me.

Not at all.

I sighed.

"To hell again. Off I go." I grumbled.